Sophia Deserto  

Professor Toohey  

ENG170 – 11  

Visual Memoir #3  

14 April 2023  

Visual Memoir #3 

Offering many options to fit everyone’s dietary wants and needs, SUNY New Paltz offers an eatery on campus in proximity to all classroom buildings: Element 93. Located on the side entrance of the building resides an image of a sandwich with a caption stating, “Mastering school lunch”. The poster uses visual rhetoric to promote the Boar’s Head brand and convince students that by eating at Element 93, they are eating quality food.  

Upon stumbling across this image, I have never noticed it before. The main entrance of Wooster Hall, the building in which Element 93 is located, faces my residence hall, therefore that was the main way I entered the building. Starting at the beginning of this semester, I began to use the side entrance more as a shortcut to stay out of the cold and to pick up my lunch since it faced the humanities building. It wasn’t until around March that on my way inside I changed my gaze from charging forward to wondering eyes and noticed the image. While the image is visually appealing, its location prevents it from reaching an audience and accomplishing a goal of persuading. In addition to being located at the side entrance, it is on the side of the wall and not at eye level.  

The use of visual rhetoric by the Boar’s Head company helps to advertise their quality products and induce feelings of hunger. On the center of the poster is an enlarged turkey bacon sandwich posed on a cutting board. In proportion with the caption and the Boar’s Head logo, the sandwich is significantly larger. The use of rhetoric communicates through the poster that the sandwich is an advertisement not only for the company, but targeted towards students who want an upgrade from the dining hall food once in a while. In addition to the size of the sandwich, photographing it on a cutting board illustrates that the meats used by Element are freshly cut and of remarkable taste. The company Boar’s Head is typically known for specializing in deli meats. While Element offers many of those options including deli meat, the difference between the cold cuts offered at Element and those offered at the dining hall are very different. Element makes sure to instill in students that the food they use is fresh and an upgrade to the typical school lunch. By putting up the poster and visualizing an upgraded sandwich, it leads the students and professors to believe their dining dollars are going to good use.  

The use of color scheme along with font assists in creating a more sophisticated advertisement. The setting of the picture in which the photograph was taken is in a dark, almost mood lighting. The frame in which the photo is in is also dark. The dark setting allows the colors of the turkey, bacon, lettuce, cheese, and bun to stand out amongst the photo, making it the centerpiece and having the eyes direct solely onto the sandwich. The use of color is also important because it creates a sense of mystery and elegance. When thinking of “college food” a common stereotype is that college students eat unhealthy foods with minimal nutritional value. However, the advertisement challenges that stereotype, visually explaining that college students can have access to good food. The font also displays notes of sophistication. Like the times new roman font, the “mastering school lunch” is in a formal font, displaying a professional and clean look.  

Overall, Element 93 does a nice job in cementing the sophistication of the food that they offer. In comparison to the peregrine dining hall and even other eateries on campus, Element makes sure to prove that the products they are using are worth your dining dollars. Although the location is not the most ideal or convincing place to put an ad, the picture is clear and professional. The use of visual rhetoric as well as color scheme is present in the photo, sparking an appetite for whoever is looking at the picture.